Gentleman Jack: the Real Anne Lister by Anne Choma

August 5, 2020

Gentleman Jack: the Real Anne Lister by Anne Choma

Anne Lister, the subject of the BBC series "Gentleman Jack," lived in the early 19th century.  She is best known for having the first recorded same-sex marriage in 1834.  But thinking that was the only thing notable about Anne is selling her short.  She was highly intelligent and read widely, and was unusually physically fit for a woman of her time.  She was a businesswoman and landowner who traveled the world, mingled with aristocrats and was presented to the King and Queen at the Danish court.  Anne was a prolific diarist, recording her daily life in obsessive detail from the time she was in her late teens until her untimely death at the age of 49.  From an early age, Anne knew she was attracted to women and the parts of her diary that dealt with her sexual exploits is written in a code that she devised.

While male homosexuality was a criminal offense in Georgian and Victorian England, lesbianism was largely ignored and virtually tolerated.  Almost everyone who knew her in Yorkshire appears to have been aware of her sexual preferences.  Butch lesbians were called Jacks, hence the title of the series, although Anne seems to have been unaware that the local populace referred to her as Gentleman Jack.

This is the companion book to the BBC series, covering the years from 1832-1834.  There are few portraits of Anne:  if she had lived a few years longer, there may have been photographs of her.  Below is one of the few portraits of Anne Lister, which still hangs in Shibden Hall, her family's estate that she owned and managed.  From a young age, Anne dressed in a black dress and greatcoat, with sturdy black boots.  She had an androgynous appearance.

This is Suranne Jones who portrays Anne Lister in the series.

Gentleman Jack is quite a different picture of 19th century England than usually presented.  The text is well-researched and the narrative flows smoothly.  Very interesting biography.